Leeds Beckett has a Research Ethics Policy and an Open Research Policy which apply to all staff and postgraduate research students. To comply with these complementary policies, Principal Investigators of a new research project must include a Data Management Plan (DMP) that explicitly addresses data capture, management, integrity, confidentiality, retention, deletion, sharing and publication, as laid out in the template below.
What is the purpose of a DMP and when should I complete one?
Your DMP describes what you will collect and how you will organise, analyse, preserve and share your data, taking into account the whole research lifecycle. Completing it helps ensure you meet funder requirements (where applicable) and helps keep your research data safe, secure and well organised.
You should complete it as early as possible during the research project - ideally before applying for ethical approval for your research. All researchers must incorporate a DMP, including a strategy for open data, into their ethical approval application.
Your DMP should also be a living document which you update if/when aspects of your research project changes.
Which DMP should I use?
If your research project is externally funded by a research council or charitable organisation, check if they have their own DMP. Otherwise, you should download and use the Leeds Beckett University DMP below. This provides useful questions to help you consider how to manage your data. It also includes standard text regarding data storage at LBU which you can copy and use on funder DMPs.
Where can I find examples of completed DMPs?
Examples are available to view on the Research Handbook and Good Practice in Research website
Who should I contact for support with writing my DMP?
Contact Research Services for support and advice about writing your DMP.
Who should I contact for support with research ethics?
Contact your Local Research Ethics Coordinator or see the University's Research Ethics webpages.
Leeds Beckett University's Open Research Policy sets out our commitment to making the products of our research (both outputs and research data) publicly available.
The UK Data Service has useful guidance on managing your research data throughout its lifecycle, including planning, sharing, data ethics, copyright and storage.
